Bonjour xx

Across The Galaxy - [Bonjour xx and Eve X]

The ground beneath Kahjo started to come into focus, at long last. The fall through the atmosphere of the unknown planet had been frigid, with the outside of Kahjo's fingers currently turning blue - from the cold and not from her genetics as a Thuboisii half-breed. She pulled the toggle for the parachute to open. Nothing happened. Well... fuck. Kahjo twisted as she fell, tumbling in a demented forward-roll fashion, trying to grab hold of wherever the backup cord was to be found. By the time the thief had found the life-saving toggle, the ground was looking scarily close. Thankfully when she yanked on it this time, the parachute shot out of her pack and sprung into action, thankfully slowing down the alarming speed she was approaching the ground below at.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Kahjo took her physical condition into action, giving herself the once over as she drifted lower and lower. The explosion from the Navy shuttle and it's ensuing blast of debris had earned the notorious criminal quite a few cuts and abrasions, the worst of which was a nasty looking gash across her ribs that blood was flowing out of, drenching her clothing. Indeed, the blood had made it's way down the expanse of her torso and was currently running down her leg, heading straight for her black, leather boots.

Kahjo looked down at the landscape below, looking for a good place to land. The sight that met her emerald coloured eyes didn't please her. Nope, not one bit. For as far as her eyes could see from her high vantage point, there was only desert. Sand, a few rocky outcroppings and oh, more sand. Grrreat. Kahjo steered her descent to what looked like the flattest area to use as a runway for her landing. The landing was less than smooth, the sand giving way underneath Kahjo's feet making her stumbled and trip, causing the parachute strings to wrap around her. When she eventually stopped rolling, she looked like a fish caught in a fisherman's net. Letting out a groan of irritation, she started slicing her way out with the help of her trusty taser-knives that were strapped to her knuckles.

Stretching, Kahjo winced at the sting her wound, now full of sand, was causing her. She would have to cauterise the wound with some of her chemicals that she kept for bomb making in her messenger-style bag. It certainly wouldn't do to loose too much blood and become light headed - the sun would already take care of that. Kahjo made her way over to a rocky outcrop that had a slight overhang to it, offering the injured woman a sliver of shade from the blazing sun and heat. She slumped against the stone and reached into her bag, then started pulling apart a grenade bomb and mixing it with a viscous, purple liquid. Kahjo watched it as it sizzled, then lifted up her top, trying not to wince as she did so. This is gonna hurt... And it did. She had to bite her lip hard to not cry out when the concoction of the chemical cocktail touched her skin. It would be painful for several more days before it finally started to heal and scar, but at least for now the wound was closed and there was little chance of infection. As for the smell of her blood attracting any lurking, hungry predators, she was out of luck on that one. Kahjo cringed, taking into account all her blood splattered garments. Grumbling, she stood up and look around.

"Well, I better get a move on..." Kahjo mumbled to herself, then started moving towards the mountains she had seen on her descent.

Across The Galaxy - [Bonjour xx and Eve X]

Different landscapes we can explore :D

Across The Galaxy - [Bonjour xx and Eve X]

Brill :)
Do you mind posting your CS in the character section?

Across The Galaxy - [Bonjour xx and Eve X]

Thanks for the heads up, it's much appreciated!

Across The Galaxy - [Bonjour xx and Eve X]

The long ride from the Naval Base where she had been held did not do much to improve Kahjo’s mood. She had not anticipated she speed at which she would be dispatched to the task force’s locations and as such, had had to put together a rather ramshackle plan to escape. Normally one for meticulously careful planning when breaking out of jail cells, Kahjo had had to improvise. Without her equipment, without back-up and with officers guarding her that had been given the strictest orders of “do not engage with the prisoner, or else” her options for escape had been severely limited. Her escape attempt had ultimately been unsuccessful and had ended when several thousand volts of energy had been applied to her body, rendering her unconscious. Waking up already boarded on the shuttle carrying her closer to her mysterious mission had not improved her mood either.

Kahjo had flashed the pilot a smile that had had too much teeth, judging by how he had seemed slightly nervous afterwards. She berated herself for that, annoyed that she’d put the man on high alert. She then waited several hours for the chance to try and approach the pilot again, this time with a gentler, more friendly approach, but the opportunity did not present itself. The long hours waiting for the chance did allow her to take in and analyse her surroundings however. The other members on board the ship did not bother her, with the exception of the Desricarti officer. If he held a grudge against her - and Kahjo was pretty sure he did as she’d stolen from him a couple of years earlier - then that was just another problem to add to the increasingly growing list. She’d been careful not to catch his eye so far.

If the fact did not irk Kahjo so much, she would congratulate the Navy on the quality of their handcuffs. They weren’t the standard issue ones so clearly they weren’t taking any chances after her failed escape attempt back at the base. Kahjo rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes, focusing on twisting her hands and running her fingers over the handcuffs, looking for weaknesses. Without her lock picking and hacking equipment, escaping her constraints would be difficult. Difficult but not impossible. However, there was still the matter of what she would then do. Kahjo was contemplating her options when the pilot’s voice interrupted her thoughts, announcing that there was something wrong with the engine. She listened to the others as they discussed how to best fix the problem, but she didn’t offer any help, even though a few ideas did present themselves to her. Instead she kept quiet and silently continued working on a way of getting out of this particular predicament before it went any further.

It was then that the Desricarti officer walked by and kicked her, demanding to know what she was doing on board the shuttle heading for the covert mission. Oh, so he was going to acknowledge her, was he? Smarmy git. Her immediate response was that she was handcuffed so that she didn't cut off his balls, but she'd quickly clamped her mouth shut before she could say it, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her so heated. Instead she rolled her shoulders gently, adopted her default feline expression of noncommittal boredom before stretching out her lithe body, knowing his eyes would be drawn to it. She let out what she knew sounded like a contented sigh - she was a good actress after all - then turned her gaze to her former paramour.

"Oh darling,” she said sweetly, but her voice was laced with condescension, ”Can’t a girl get into trouble every now and then without the Navy getting involved?” Kahjo sent him a grin that could only be described as feral, bordering on predatory even.

Kahjo didnt push her luck any further though. If it came down to it right here, right now, with her handcuffed and weaponless, she wouldn't stand a chance. However the worse part of it was that the Desricarti knew it. A small 'click' caused her to break the eye contact she was having with the man. Kahjo's grin turned into a smug smirk as the handcuffs fell away from her hands. She rubbed her wrists, which were slightly sore from having spent the last few hours confined in the constraints. She then stood up and clipped the handcuffs onto her belt, lifting up her top garment a little to do so and exposing her creamy skin. She was going to keep those handcuffs, they were rather good quality.

"I'm taking these with me. You never know, they might come in handy later.” And with a wink sent in officer's direction, she sauntered over to the crew member holding her personal effects - and if she let her hips sway a little bit from side to side seductively, well, that was her business.

However, she didn’t get much further than picking up her few pieces of equipment - googles, mask, taser, satchel full of explosives (you know, all the good stuff) - before an almighty BOOM was heard and the shuttle jerked so suddenly that all its passengers were thrown on top of each other in a huge heap. You didn’t need to be an engineering genius to figure how that one of the engines had exploded and the shuttle was going down.

Kahjo mind snapped to attention. She quickly pushed herself to her feet and grabbed a deployment parachute. Securing her various gadgets, though taking special care with her mask as that would allow her to breath in a few moments, she took a quick look out the pilot’s window. She couldn’t make out much of the landscape below them but she knew they were in a pretty hostile part of the Lotorius sector - though where exactly was still unknown to her.

Well there was only one way to find out.

”I’d love to say around and chat boys, but I have things to steal, places to go and people to con,” the thief called as she opened the emergency exit door. ”Good luck not dying though!” And with that, before anyone could stop her, Kahjo leaped out the shuttle. Not a moment too soon either as before she had fallen fifty feet, the craft exploded.

Across The Galaxy - [Bonjour xx and Eve X]

@Eve X I've written my first post so I'm going to put it in the IC now. Join in when you're ready!

Across The Galaxy - [Bonjour xx and Eve X]

Once you get your CS finished and posted in the character section, I'll post in the IC :)

The Pirate And The Priestess [IC] - Bonjour xx and ScarlettWaters16

Feel free to jump ahead to when Gideon reaches the island/temple :)

The Pirate And The Priestess [IC] - Bonjour xx and ScarlettWaters16

Taora prayed to the goddess Honikalaea for a couple of hours, thanking her for saving her from the shipwreck several years ago and bringing her to the shores of Kahayjo for the umpteenth time. When she had finished, she noticed that the light of the day had dimmed considerably and went about lighting the torches around the temple, ready for when the other priestesses would return from the mountain top. There were several fountains and pools dotted around the temples. With the torches now lit, the light of their flames flickered off the water and cast fluttering images on to the walls. The only room Taora didn’t enter the secluded room at the very back of the temple for she was forbidden to. Only once she had taken her sacred vows and become a priestess of the Order of Askarnia would she be allowed she see what the mysterious room held. She did know that the room only had three walls. Where the forth should have been there was instead a long, sharp drop down to the sea below.

The entire temple was very quiet, with Taora being the only person currently there. She came to stand at the main entrance to the magnificent, ancient temple and learned gently against one of the marble columns. The beautiful young woman closed her eyes and listened to the lovely sounds of the singing birds, the lapping of the waves against the cliff and beach shore and the breeze causing the leaves of the trees to rustling against each other.

Taora greatly enjoyed the quiet solitude of the hidden world that was the island of Kahayjo. Here lay an entire paradise that only a handful of people would ever see - and she felt so honoured that the gods thought she was worthy of being one of those lucky individuals. Only by the divine will of the heavens were sailors ever able to reach the shores of Kahayjo. Though none of them had ever been able to find the temple when they had ventured inland for supplies. Furthermore no sailor could ever find the cornucopia of an island again. Taora loved the island dearly and would not see it or her precious temple exploited for its natural resources and riches. The greed of the outside world would not soil or spoil her magical world if she could do anything about it.

A sudden feeling erupted within the young woman’s chest, surprising her greatly. It wasn’t fear - anticipation maybe? Taora frowned, wondering what the sensation could mean. Where the gods trying to tell her that something was coming? Would it be good or bad? And what did she have to do with it? Not able to confide in her superiors at the temple, Taora went to pray to the Twins. The Twins were Mako and Jasni, the son and daughter of Honikalaea. Like their guardian mother, the Twins protected Kahayjo island. Mako patrolled the ivory beaches and cliffs in the form of a large jungle cat, while his sister Jasni flew overhead in form of a gull and circled the trio of mountains. Taora knew they would be the first ones to see anything or anyone approaching the island and therefore went straight to them for advise.

Across The Galaxy - [Bonjour xx and Eve X]

KAHJO

Name: “Call me Kahjo” is how she’s most likely to answer the question “what’s your name?” Whether that’s her real name or not remains unanswered.

Race: Kahjo’s brother tells her that his best guess on her lineage would be half-human, a man from one of the space colonies probably, and then of course their absent mother. Their mother came from a race of people called the Thuboisii that travel the various galaxies, intent on expanding their people’s knowledge and understanding in all matters.

Kahjo has inherited some features of the Thuboisii from her maternal genes. Her mind processes information quicker than that of a human's and puzzles or problems present themselves to her much more easily, allowing her to find solutions more rapidly. Similarly, her five senses are heightened beyond that of a full-bredd human.

Appearance:

Thuboisii

Kahjo’s physical appearance differs very little from that of a regular human. Though perhaps shorter than average, standing at only 5’5, most of the time she is indistinguishable from the human race. However, when experiencing emotions in their extremes such as anger, love, arousal or sadness, her skin changes colour to the characteristic light blue and intricate patterning of the Thuboisii people. She has little to no control over the change.

Kahjo has a very feminine figure, with delectable curves that are well proportioned and pleasing to the eye. Though she is rather slight, her muscles are well toned and strong. Kahjo has emerald-green eyes that are framed by chocolate-brown, long eyelashes that are capable of drawing even the strongest willed individual into their mesmerising depths. Her hair is styled in a combination of dreadlocks and ponytails. It may look rough and corse, due to the various uneven lengths of it, but in actual fact it feels like silk to touch.

Personality: Kahjo’s personality is best described as feline for the most part. She observes those around her with a demeanour of having little interest or care in their goings on, however she is quietly and very carefully cataloguing information that may be valuable to her at a later date. Furthermore, like a feline, Kahjo does not exactly do “friendly” all too well. Be sure that when the mood takes her or the situation arises, she can be completely charming and charismatic, often talking her way out of a dangerous situation or likewise, talking her way into someone’s interests. Manipulation of people’s emotions is easy for Kahjo. When she sees an opening in a person’s metaphorical armour, she pounces on the opportunity given to her. Extracting people’s secrets from them without them even realising that they are giving them away is the art form of a grifter - and Kahjo is no doubt one of the best. Indeed, she enjoys exercising her skills of manipulation and persuasion when given the chance, be this by deception, intimidation or seduction.

Kahjo’s own emotions are not kept in check all too well. While she can act pious and meek, those adjectives are not what anyone who knew the young woman would use to describe her. She sees most insults directed at her as a personal challenge - a character fault which has led her into serious trouble more than once. Ever eager to prove she as earned her place among her fellow pirates, thieves and bandits by her own merit and skill and not by warming the leaders’ beds, her actions can be rather reckless.

Kahjo takes the outlook on life that it is very person for themselves. Though she has her brother, she does not do herself the disservice of relying on him too much for the day may come when they are no longer together. Each person’s demons and troubles are their own problem. If they fall beneath the weight and darkness of them, so be it. If a person is not useful to her, they are dispensable and that is just the way of the worlds. As a result, she constantly fears someone better replacing her role in the band of thieves she belongs to. However, vulnerability is not an emotion she will let herself show to anyone as she does not want to be seen as weak and a possible target for unsavoury types.

Skills: Kahjo is one of the most notorious thieves this side of the Askarian Galaxy. Her hard-earned place in the band of thieves called The Armada is secure for the moment as she hasn’t come across anyone who can exceed her infiltration skills. Whereas the tactic of others is to go in all guns blazing and take over a ship by force, Kahjo adopts a much more stealthier approach. Locked doors are no obstacle for her, whether she is locked out or in, as she is an expert hacker and lock-picker. Her methods of infiltration involve sabotage - rot a ship from the inside out without anyone even realising she was there. Then, her fellow thieves and pirates can attack a weakened and distressed vessel.

Another skill Kahjo could be considered an expert in is explosives. While she is light of foot, quite the acrobat and generally can either avoid or hack security systems, being detected can sometimes be a problem. Her plan B in such situations for a successful getaway are her trusty explosives. BOOM.

Kahjo is also rather proficient in such areas of climbing, abseiling and squeezing/crawling through tight spaces like air vents as her much smaller size and flexibility allows her to do this. Her heightened senses also give her improved hand-to-eye co-ordination. Where she lacks skill is in hand-to-hand combat and knowledge of various weaponry. Her solution when faced with such confrontation is to escape the immediate situation and recalculate her next move. Physically she is not much of an opponent, but intellectually she can bring a man to his knees.

Kahjo cannot recite to you great works of literature or poetry, but give her an locked algorithm and she’ll break it for you quicker than you thought possible. The Thuboisii have a superior brain in terms of intelligence and storage capacity than that of a lot of other races as they have unlocked more parts of the brain than most. While Kahjo does not posses the full extent of these attributes, she pretty much has an eidetic memory and the ability to pick up information and instructions extremely fast.

Equipment:
Goggles (see appearance): Kahjo's googles can pick up changes in temperature (helpful in detecting a person’s body heat) and traces of various elements. They are essentially a data base and are excellent when tracking a chemical signature of either a specific race or item.

Explosives and Mask (see appearance): Not all of the explosives Kahjo constructs are simply made to go boom. There are flash grenades made to blind and stun people; small, localised charges made to block passageways; smoke bombs made to provide cover and toxic or chemical bombs made for various purposes but most regularly to render a room of people unconscious. Her specialised mask allows her to breath and not experience any of the effects from her explosives.

Lock-picking and hacking equipment: Old school and high tech, Kahjo can turn her hand to both.

Taser gun (see appearance): Located on her left hand, Kahjo’s taser looks deceptively like a rather nasty knuckle duster. However, the sheer amount of voltage fired from the small taser gun is enough to render nearly all species unconscious. Depending on the quality of an opponent’s armour, they are not always left unconscious but will experience something similar to having received a blow to the head or having been drugged. The taser is accurate over a range of fifteen feet, any more and results vary considerably.

Bio: Kahjo was primarily raised by her much older brother, Caael, who is also half Thuboisii. Her brother’s other half is unknown but is most certainly not human. Kahjo’s mother left her with her brother because to the Thuboisii, nothing is more important than the pursuit of knowledge - even family. Given that neither child showed the promise or desire to gather knowledge and intelligence from the universe, they were abandoned. This is not an uncommon trait of the Thuboisii.

Kahjo’s brother was already an established member of a group of thieves when Marga was unceremoniously left in his care. His skill as a pilot had earned him a place among one of the most exclusive criminal groups which was compromised of various experts from across the galaxies. Instead of leaving her behind, Caael established a bond with the young child left in his care and brought her into the fold. Growing up surrounded by pirates, bandits and thieves, Kahjo’s path in life was unsurprising. Though, her rising beyond being a standard crew member to an essential and trusted member of the inner circle was.

What led Kahjo to becoming stranded on one of the desert-like, unexplored and possibly hostile territories in the Askarian Galaxy was a botched heist. She and several other members of the infamous group of thieves called the Armada were captured by the United Alliance Navy. Contrary to the saying, there is little honour amongst thieves and so, upon learning the unique skills Kahjo possessed, she was given the choice between following her fellow crew members in their executions or joining a task force being sent on a covert mission. Marga chose the later and began planning her escape. Well, that and her revenge. Being a saboteur herself, she could tell that her captured had not being accidental. The shuttle that was transporting Kahjo to meet the specialised task for crash landed, with Kahjo managing to bail out only moments before it exploded.

Quote: ”Whatever isn’t bolted down is my business. If I can sell it, spend it or trade with it, it’s as good as already mine. And if I don’t get caught, I deserve everything I steal.”